Main meals, sides & all sorts of easy makes
Pad Thai is one of my favourite dishes to eat when in South East Asia. Or closer to home. I love the fresh, zingy flavour and the crunchy textures which contrast against the soft noodles. It’s such a fragrant dish, and this vegan peanut pad …
Spaghetti bolognese was one of the very first proper recipes I cooked, when living away from home for the first time. A firm British favourite food for a reason; everyone seems to have their own fail-safe version. This is mine – slow cooker spag bol …
There’s no use of the microwave in this recipe. I do love a nice jacket, but they can be so time-consuming to make, which is where this quick baked potato recipe comes in. I have tried the frozen variety, but they always seem a little …
This easy Spanish omelette is a great way to use up half a dozen eggs that are about to pass their use-by date. I use tinned new potatoes to speed things up and simplify the process too. If you have any, you could cut up …
These easy slow cooker meatballs UK style are a typical example of an Italian dish adopted and much loved by the British. One day, they tasted the best I’ve ever made them, so I quickly recorded exactly what I put in before I forgot. The …
These easy garlic dough ball recipe is inspired by a popular high street pizzeria. Who wouldn’t want a simple homemade garlic dough balls recipe? While they are readily available in supermarkets, of all home recipes this one is so very easy. So why not try …
I’ve no idea how authentic this healthy chicken dhansak recipe is. I had made several attempts at it over the years, being one of my curry house favourites. One day – finally – it just worked perfectly, so I grabbed a piece of paper and …
A change from bland stews and casseroles, this easy chilli sausage casserole recipe is a spiced-up version. The sticky, caramelised onion and sausages make for a lovely variation on classic chilli. It makes a nice change at Christmas, for example, to serve something with a …
It’s a very popular pizza topping, but you can make other things with pepperoni, too. Such as this quick pepperoni pasta sauce recipe, based very roughly on Pepperonata (though that is vegetarian, and doesn’t contain the pepperoni). Pepperoni and pasta – why not? This pepperoni …
I made these honey roasted carrots and parsnips as a side dish for Christmas dinner, and they were delicious. Very quick and easy to make, too, which is a big bonus at such a busy time of year. They are also ideal as a side …